Jamie Oliver's first independent restaurant venture homes in on the type of food the celebrity chef knows and loves best – Italian.

The non booking policy of the Bath restaurant, which opened last October, means customers queue outside for a table, but no one seemed to mind, despite the rain.

Having arrived at 11.30am, half an hour before opening, my friend and I were the first in to the surprisingly spacious 250-seater restaurant, which filled up pretty fast.

What is nice about Jamie's is that there is none of the pomp and circumstance associated with many celebrity chef restaurants.

The place is simply furnished with comfy wooden chairs and uncluttered tableware and the venue’s unusual shape lends itself well to different clientele, with a cafe-style area, large, chunky wooden tables for groups and cosy tables for two.

The relaxed approach clearly works, as we were able to enjoy a leisurely lunch over a couple of hours without feeling rushed.

Both big fans of Italian food, we agonised over our menu choices – there are breads, salads, antipasti selections to share, homemade pastas, mains and sides, all of which have intriguing titles such as Chicken Cooked Under a Hot Brick, Jamie’s Flash Steak and World’s Best Olives on Ice.

We loved the olives, which are served with a black olive tapenade and music bread (the Sardinian staple of dry, light, thinly sliced bread) proved perfect for soaking up the delicious tapenade.

For mains, my friend went for the Prawn Linguini – described as “pan fried garlicky prawns with tomatoes, chilli, rocket and fennel.” The serving was generous, the prawns succulent and the sweet chilli sauce tangy but not overpowering.

My Honeycombed Canneloni – billed as “pasta tubes filled with ricotta and loadsa herbs, baked with wild mushroom and tomato sauce” – came in a daintier portion served in a tin dish with lashings of parmesan and was full of flavour.

For dessert my friend chose an incredibly light tiramsui, a triumph of mascarpone and chocolate, while I went for Italian Bakewell Tart, a heavenly combination of almonds and the fruity flavours of lemon and orange creme fraiche.

The bill was £37 for the two of us, including drinks. It looks like Mr Oliver is on to a winner.

Jamie’s Italian 10 Milsom Place, Bath, BA1 1BZ (01225) 510051

Fresh pasta made daily

Rooftop terrace

Daily specials

Open Monday-Saturday noon-11pm, Sunday noon-10.30pm

Groups of eight or more advised to book

www.jamiesitalian.com

Linda Harris